My No-Looking-Back Foray into Dystopian Fantasy with "The Hunger Games"

Heather, our Director of Marketing  at TC,  talks about her immersion into the world of  The Hunger Games Trilogy:

I'll begin by saying that, in addition to as much adult sci fi and fantasy I can find the time to read, I do read quite a bit of Middle Grade and Young Adult (YA) literature in the same genres. However, until I read the Hunger GamesTrilogy by Suzanne Collins, I hadn't read much in the way of "dystopian fantasy." I actually hadn't planned on reading The Hunger Games (I had heard it was extremely violent, not generally my cup of tea), though it had been recommended to me by many TC staff members who know what I like to read.

Well, low and behold, my book club, which is a group of 40 to 50-something professionals and moms, that had a hard time picking The Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula K. Le Guin (one of the rare sci fi novels I've been able to sneak onto our reading list, and one of the best novels, sci fi or otherwise, out there) decided to read The Hunger Games.

My sister, a member of my book club, who finished The Hunger Games before I'd even picked it up, warned me that once I started reading, I wouldn't be able to stop with the first novel. So, taking her advice, I made sure I had the whole trilogy on hand when I started reading. Three or four days later, with one marathon reading day included, I wistfully finished the last page of Mockingjay, the third book in the series. (By the way, Book Two in the series is Catching Fire.)

The books ARE extremely violent. But not overwhelmingly or gratuitously so. The world of Katniss Everdeen (the teen heroine of the story), and the unspeakable horror that is the "hunger games" of the title, completely captured my imagination. Suzanne Collins is a wonderful, descriptive writer, and her characters are true, believable people. I like stories where good and evil aren't always black and white, and where choices have both good and bad consequences. Collins delivers such a story, and more.

So, now of course, I'm hooked. Next up, Divergent by Veronica Roth, which another TC staffer (one of those always recommending The Hunger Games) says is a must read. After that, who knows? Any and all suggestions are welcome!


--Heather